Season of the Witch
by MartyF
Summary: Believe it or not, Jordan and Woody finally set the big day! But there's a little problem...STORY NOW COMPLETE
1. Default Chapter

SEASON OF THE WITCH  
  
A CROSSING JORDAN FAN FICTION  
  
NOTE: I do not own the wonderful characters of the NBC program "Crossing Jordan" and I'm damn sure not making any money off of them. It's owned by Tailwind Productions in association with NBC Studios.   
  
CHAPTER ONE   
  
JORDAN'S PROPOSAL  
  
EST SHOT NIGHT CHOPPER SHOT OF BOSTON SKYLINE  
  
We focus in on the Boston Coroner's Office.   
  
CUT TO:  
  
INT NIGHT JORDAN'S OFFICE  
  
The lovely JORDAN CAVANAUGH is sitting at her computer alone. A clock on the wall says 2:07 am. She seems a bit depressed rather than tired.   
  
ANOTHER ANGLE  
  
We see Jordan's boss, GARRETT MACY enter. He looks concerned for Jordan as she just sits there not looking up.  
  
GARRETT: You OK?  
  
JORDAN (Still not looking up): Yeah. Just not sure I'm going to get this last case done anytime soon.   
  
GARRETT: Jordan, go home. Get some rest. That'll still be there in the morning. (BEAT) They have something called graveyard shift now, sounds like it might actually work. (NO RESPONSE) That was supposed to be a joke.   
  
JORDAN: Yeah. It's hard to be funny at (LOOKS AT CLOCK) Jeezus! It's after 2? How come you're still here.   
  
GARRETT: Just trying to be a good boss, look after my employees. Besides you have a visitor.   
  
JORDAN: Now? Who?  
  
GARRETT says nothing but merely opens the door for....Detective WOODY HOYT. WOODY is smiling like a sonofabitch.   
  
WOODY: Hello, Jordan.  
  
JORDAN: (Lightening up - a lot!) Woody! What brings you here this late?  
  
WOODY: I'd come by earlier, but I was told you were still busy. I waited....I had to go out on a call, I just got back....you were still working, even this late, so I figured, what the hey?  
  
JORDAN: What do you mean? It's kind of late for dinner.  
  
WOODY: Not dinner. Breakfast maybe. But that's not why I'm here. (HE HANDS JORDAN A BOX) Open it. Go ahead.  
  
JORDAN cautiously opens the box, as though it were a live bomb.   
  
CUT TO CU JORDAN'S POV   
  
We see a BEAUTIFUL ENGAGEMENT RING inside the box.  
  
ANGLE ON JORDAN  
  
She seems pleased beyond words, near tears.   
  
ANGLE ON WOODY. We see MACY in the background, grinning like a fool.  
  
WOODY gets in one knee.  
  
WOODY: Jordan Cavanaugh, will you marry me?  
  
JORDAN: YES!  
  
Without another break we see the two of them passionately embrace.  
  
ANGLE ON MACY  
  
GARRETT is still smiling as we go to the opening credits. 


	2. Drinks on the House!

CHAPTER TWO  
  
DRINKS ON THE HOUSE!  
  
Nigel and Bug were as pleased as anyone could've been to hear Jordan was, at long last, getting married. Now, Nigel was a bit disappointed that it wasn't him, but well....you can't have everything, can you? Bug had no such illusions.  
  
Lily also reacted pretty well, and so (surprise!) did Renee.   
  
But of course the biggest reaction was from Max.....  
  
(WAAAY LATE OVER AT MAX'S PLACE)  
  
Max drunkenly lurched over to Woody, who seemed a bit tipsy himself...and gave him a big drunken Irishman hug.   
  
"Woody! My son!" Max chortled. "I knew it was going to be you all along...YOU are going to have the biggest, best and LOUDEST bachelor part Boston ever had."  
  
"Thanks Max." Woody smiled.   
  
Max and Woody took another shot each. Then Max looked with a very serious expression at Woody. "Woody...take good care of her. She's all I have left now."  
  
"You know I will, Max."  
  
"NO - don't just say it, Woody - do it! I was not a good husband...I tried damn hard to be a good father to Jordan." Max slumped a bit, sighing. "But I know damn well I wasn't."  
  
Woody said to him, with perhaps a little too much compassion, "That's not true, Max. You were a good father."  
  
Max shook his head. "No...I should've been better to her mom." He took another drink. "She was crazy as all hell, but she was Jordan's mother. And she's gone now. I don't think Jordan ever forgave me for that.'  
  
"Max, that's not true!"  
  
"It is, Woody. She became an ME because I wasn't there to..." Max broke off. For a moment, Woody thought he was going to cry, but Max with great effort, held firm.   
  
"You know why I really kept in touch with Jamie? It wasn't because I loved him, it was because I wanted to try and be a good father! But I was way too late for him. And Jordan too..."  
  
Max got up to leave, just as he saw Jordan approaching. He gave Jordan a hug she though was perhaps too intense, but she said nothing. Max left and Jordan took his seat.   
  
"Dad alright?"  
  
"Just drunk. I guess that happens."  
  
Woody may have sounded casual, but he wasn't fooling himself, or Jordan. 


	3. Peter, Peter, Peter

SEASON OF THE WITCH   
  
CHAPTER 3  
  
PETER, PETER, PETER  
  
Yes, many of Jordan's friends and associates were quite happy about the marriage. But there was one who wasn't.  
  
Peter Winslow was hard at work, He'd just taken out and weighed the heart of his latest autopsy, a seriously overweight African-American Jane Doe who'd been found in a burned out townhouse in Roxbury. Of course he'd heard about the wedding - who hadn't? - but he knew from the start he wasn't going. His visitor knew as well, and wasn't happy.  
  
"Peter? We need to talk."  
  
Peter didn't even look up. "Hello, Jordan. Talk about what?"  
  
"Why you're not going to the wedding." No reply from Peter, who just kept working.   
  
Typical Peter Winslow, Jordan thought. Always hides in his work.  
  
"Peter, is there something you're not telling me?"  
  
Pošetilý otázka, Peter thought. (That means "Silly question" in Czech.)  
  
Jordan came closer to him, and Peter finally, reluctantly, looked at her. She looked as she always did to him...like a dark-haired angel. "Look...in the first place, somebody has to be here to work. And in the second place...." He looked away from her. "I don't think I'd be comfortable there. I haven't been to a wedding since my wide passed on. I just would be...uncomfortable." He went back to work.  
  
Jordan wasn't having any of it. She knew Peter always did this when he had some secret - god, how she hated that!- and that meant having to pry deeper, till she was pushed away. But she also knew that there was a time and place for every battle.  
  
"OK," said Jordan, trying - but not too hard - to not sound hurt. She walked off, closing the door a little too discreetly.  
  
Peter Winslow tried to concentrate on the autopsy. But it was tough. He'd kept secrets most of his left, but this one - that he loved Jordan and had from day One - was a tough one. For a moment he wished he had a drink. 


	4. A Very Dark Place

CHAPTER 4  
  
A VERY DARK PLACE  
  
We see a very dark room, with just one light on, focused on an aged dining room table. We cannot see any details of the figure sitting there, except that he (or she) is wearing latex gloves. The figure is hunched over, meticulously writing on a card. The penmanship is remarkable.   
  
The figure finishes writing on the card and patiently waits a few minutes for the ink to dry properly. No sense in letting this be messy, after all - or rather, not TOO messy.   
  
When the ink dries, the gloved hands gingerly put the card into an envelope. Using a sponge, the hands then moisten the seal (no telltale DNA from the saliva, you understand) and then seal the envelope.   
  
We can see it is addressed to JORDAN CAVANAUGH – PERSONAL.  
  
The figure nods, as if satisfied, and then we go to commercial. 


	5. At St Inez' Church

CHAPTER 5   
  
AT ST. INEZ' CHURCH  
  
Father Paul Korner was sitting quietly in the church, much as he always did before Mass. He didn't hear someone come up behind him till she touched him lightly on his right shoulder.   
  
Jordan smiled back at him as he looked up.  
  
"Sorry if I was interrupting something. You have a minute?"  
  
Father Paul smiled back. "Sure. What's up?"  
  
"I'm getting married. I'd like to have the ceremony here."   
  
"Let me guess....you would like me to perform the ceremony?"  
  
Jordan nodded, a little sheepishly.   
  
Father Paul nodded as well. "No problem."  
  
Jordan gave a broad smile and a hug. "Thanks, Paul. I knew you wouldn't let me down."  
  
Father Paul looked at her intently. "You know I have you to thank for coming back to the Priesthood."  
  
"I'd heard you'd come back, but why?"  
  
"Simple. I realized that sometimes doing what you really want to do and doing what you have to do are different things. And sometimes they're in conflict. That doesn't mean you shouldn't do them."   
  
He looked at her a bit more seriously. "I had wondered if I'd just taken the easy way out, going into the priesthood. When I went on hiatus, I knew it was the wrong decision."  
  
Jordan gave him a baffled look. "You mean being a priest?"  
  
"No, no - leaving. You can't always solve a problem by running away from it. I thought for a long time, but then I thought of you. You never seem to run away from anything. It was a very tough decision, but I'm glad I made it."  
  
How little you know, Jordan thought.  
  
"So....when's the wedding scheduled?"  
  
"I'm looking at July 23rd."  
  
"OK....the church should be available on that day. If you have a number we can contact you at?"  
  
As Jordan and Father Paul exchanged phone numbers and pleasantries, neither was aware of a figure lurking in the rear of the church, behind a ceiling post... 


	6. Late Night Call

CHAPTER 6  
  
LATE NIGHT CALL  
  
It was around 12 am at Jordan's apartment. She was doing what she usually did when she wasn't working: sipping a nice cup of hot cocoa, and watching David Letterman. She was used to receiving calls late, so it came as no surprise, it was an annoyance rather, that her cell phone rang.   
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hello, Jordan." It was Garrett Macy. He sounded rather serious.   
  
"Garrett, what's wrong?"  
  
Garrett hesitated a moment. When he spoke it was slowly and deliberately. "Jordan, we need you to come to Boston General right away. There's been a shooting, at Max's."  
  
OMIGOD!  
  
"DAD?"  
  
Garrett hesitated again. "Yes, he's alright, but he lost a lot of blood."  
  
Jordan didn't waste another minute. She hung up and drove straight to Boston General's ER. She found Garrett and Woody waiting for her. She tearfully flung herself into Woody's arms.   
  
"Is he going to be alright?"  
  
Woody nodded. "His life is not in danger. But the doctors are worried. He was hit in the spinal cord." He looked Jordan in the eye.   
  
"Jordan…there's a chance he may not walk again."  
  
GOD NO!  
  
"I've got to see him!" She started to run, but Woody held on to her.   
  
"Sorry – he can't have visitors now. There's something else…"  
  
Jordan said nothing but looked at him blankly. It seemed to take forever for Woody to speak. "We have six eyewitnesses who saw the shooting. Their description matches your brother Jamie."  
  
"No!"  
  
Garrett approached. "Jordan…this was left at the scene." He held out an envelope addressed 'JORDAN CAVANAUGH – PERSONAL'. She reached for it, then looked to Woody. "Go ahead." She opened the letter and started to read.  
  
Jordan  
I came all the way from Canada just to see your wedding, but I'm afraid I may never get there.   
I know the one thing you'd like more than anything else in this world is the name of your mother's killer. If you would like me to tell you, please come by Max's after closing this Saturday.   
James Horton (your brother)  
  
Jordan looked stunned. She didn't quite know what to do. Garrett and Woody exchanged looks. Woody spoke first. "Jamie gave someone at the bar a telephone number. We're tracing it now." With that his phone rang. "Hoyt….yeah. Get a black and white over there, I'll be by right away." He hung up. "You're not going to believe this…"   
  
Jordan asked, "Did they find the number?"  
  
Woody looked at her, grimly. "No. They found Jamie. He's dead." 


	7. Autopsy James Horton

CHAPTER 7  
  
AUTOPSY JAMES MATTHEW HORTON  
  
"Pretty obvious, isn't it?" Peter asked Garrett Macy.  
  
"Yeah. This is as cut-and-dried as it gets."  
  
Peter started to speak, as per procedure, into a mic hooked up to a camcorder. "Subject is a white male, about 40 years old, in reasonably good health. The subject has three bullet wounds, two to the abdomen, one to the back of the head. Exit wounds in the abdomen and head. The brain shows signs of contrecoup lacerations, indicating a blow to the back of the head prior to being shot. Wounds are consistent with small caliber bullets, possibly 9 millimeter."   
  
"In the opinion of this examiner, the subject was shot twice in the abdomen, then struck on the back of the head, and then given the fatal shot execution style to the back of the head."   
  
Peter looked up. "Looks like someone didn't want Jamie to tell what he had to say, did they?"  
  
Garrett nodded. "Anything back from ballistics yet?"  
  
Peter said, "No. But it looks like a 9 millimeter shell we recovered."  
  
Max Cavanaugh woke in his bed at Boston General Hospital expecting to see the bedpan nurse...instead he got a very pleasant vision, clutching at his right hand...  
  
"JORDAN!"  
  
Jordan looked at her father tearfully, but still smiling. "Dad....how are you feeling?"  
  
Max shrugged - or would've if he hadn't been hooked up to a load of tubes and catheters. "Not too bad, considering. Where's Woody?"  
  
"He's still working on the case, over at HQ. Did anyone tell you what happened to Jamie?"  
  
Max darkened. "Yeah...did they tell you what happened?"  
  
"Just that you'd been shot, and Jamie did it."  
  
"Jordan...it was an accident. He'd come over to talk with me. Said he'd heard about the wedding and wanted to attend. He said he had some kind of fancy present for you. Didn't say what it was...I told him, the Boston PD is looking for him, because of the Malden case. He asked if he could come over Saturday night. I told him, he'd better stay away from everyone, do us all a favor, he's nothing but trouble. That's when he pulled the gun out. I tried taking it from him...and you see what happened. But don't worry....I'll be at that wedding to give you away if I have to crawl there."  
  
"Dad, it's alright. You just work on recovering first. I can always postpone the wedding. I've waited this long, a few more weeks won't matter."  
  
Max smiled. "You won't need a few more weeks. I'll be there."  
  
Jordan looked even more worried for a second.  
  
Max looked at her puzzled. "What?"  
  
Jordan finally steeled up her nerve and asked. "Dad....do you know who killed Mom?"  
  
Max frowned. "Jesus Christ, Jordan....why do you think I know any more than you do?"  
  
Jordan's cell phone rang. She answered. Woody was on the other end. "Yes?....I see. I'll be right down."  
  
Jordan spoke to her dad. "I gotta go now. We may have a big lead here." She kissed her dad. Before she left, she hesitated as if she wanted to say something else, then turned and left.   
  
Max lay there a long time, wondering. He thought, Like I said, the truth doesn't always set you free.... 


	8. A Couple White Guys and an East Asian Si...

CHAPTER 8  
  
A COUPLE WHITE GUYS (AND AN EAST ASIAN) SITTING AROUND TALKING  
  
Nigel was just outside the Massachusetts State Medical Examiner's office, taking a quiet smoke break. He knew, being health conscious, that smoking was bad, but DAMN - those Chesterfields were good, though not good for you. In a matter of seconds, Bug joined in, he already had his characteristic clover cigarette lit.   
  
"Nice of you to join in, Bug" Nigel said sardonically. "Have a seat?"  
  
Bug sat on a battered old park bench near the main entrance. Nigel continued to lean against the outside wall. Nigel frowned as Bug took one of his heavy drags, and let out some rather pungent smoke.   
  
"Bleedin' hell, I don't know how you can smoke those things," Nigel said.   
  
"I could say the same for you," Bug deadpanned. "You going to the wedding?"  
  
"If it's still on after all this pony."  
  
Bug gave him a baffled look. "Pony?"  
  
"Pony and trap - crap. Cockney rhyming slang. I thought you'd know that."   
  
Bug shook his head. "No, my folks never lived in the UK. They went straight from Bangalore to Los Angeles. Hell of a transition."  
  
"How'd you end up here?"  
  
"I did my residency over at Boston General. The ME's office seemed like a good place to go. After all, none of your patients ever complain here."  
  
Nigel gave a smile. "You do have a rare sense of humour, Bug. Perhaps if you were to let it bake a bit longer, it may yet be well done."  
  
The two men shared a laugh. Neither noticed another figure coming up to them.  
  
"May I join you?"  
  
Nigel and Bug looked up, and saw Peter Winslow, looking a bit sheepish.   
  
Nigel didn't bat an eye. "Sure. Feel free."  
  
Peter leaned against the wall, at a comfortable distance from Nigel.   
  
"I didn't think you smoked."  
  
Peter smiled at Nigel's remark. "I don't. I just need to talk about something."  
  
Bug said, "You can't talk to Macy?"  
  
"No, some things you can't share with the boss. It's about the wedding."  
  
"We heard you weren't going. Why not?"  
  
"Because, Nigel, there's a big problem, and it's with me." Peter hesitated. How in hell do I say this?, he thought. After a pause Nigel and Bug thought went on forever, Peter finally said it, his eyes closed...  
  
"I love Jordan. And I have since I first came here." He opened his eyes. To his surprise neither man seemed to be reacting. "Didn't you hear me?"  
  
Nigel replied, after a pregnant pause of his own, "Sure we did. We were just wondering when you were finally going to own up to it."  
  
"You knew?"  
  
It was Bug's turn. "Yeah. Don't feel bad, we've all been there. I wanted her for - let me see, the first three days I was here. Nigel has been holding a torch for her for some time."  
  
Peter frowned. "C'mon guys, this is serious."  
  
Nigel finished his cigarette and smashed it under his foot. "I know. So are we." Nigel gave Peter a very serious look. "We all know Jordan is a very lovely, single woman. It's not hard to love her. Hell, we can't not love her. But face it - there is such a thing as being a professional about this."  
  
Peter said, "You saying I should just ignore my feelings?"  
  
Nigel shook his head with a little smile. "Nah. Your feelings are what they are. But hers are what they are too. She loves Woody. Woody loves her. They're a couple. Nothing you can do will ever change that."  
  
Peter looked a little sulky, so Nigel put his hand on his shoulders in the International "Chin Up, Matey" sign.   
  
"Look, Peter. You can go on with this Eastern European 'feel sorry for yourself' bit all you want. But look at it this way: some day, not soon, but MAYBE someday, Jordan may well fall out with Woody. These things happen. And again MAYBE, if you're still in her life in some capacity, she could feel the things about you that you feel for her. BUT - and this my friend, is a very big BUT - that won't happen if you're sulking about."  
  
Nigel took Peter by the shoulders and gave him a very serious look.   
  
"Go to the wedding, Peter. Give her a reason to care about you."  
  
With that, Bug put out his cigarette, and he and Nigel left. Peter stood alone for awhile, wondering. 


	9. Malibu

CHAPTER 9  
  
MALIBU  
(Note lyrics are property of Hole)  
  
Crash and burn   
  
All the stars explode tonight  
  
How'd you get so desperate  
  
How'd you stay alive  
  
Help me please   
  
Burn the sorrow from your eyes...  
  
Jordan had finished her last Bailey's - how was long ago it now? An hour ago? - and was listening to Hole on the stereo. It had not been a good day at all for her. Talking with Woody was usually a joy, but in this case, it had all gone so badly. One phrase in particular haunted her:  
  
"I'm not responsible for my father's sins!"  
  
Oh, come on be alive again  
  
Don't lay down and die  
  
Hey, hey  
  
You know what to do  
  
Oh, baby, drive away to Malibu...  
  
Jordan really liked hearing the song. She hadn't liked much about being in Los Angeles - the lack of contact with the neighbors, the having to drive five miles to get a newspaper - but she loved Malibu. She and her then-boyfriend - what WAS his name, anyway? - liked the sea breeze, the whale watching, the celebrity-hunting, all that. Wonderful place. She needed to be in a nice place just now. Perhaps another Bailey's and she could pretend to be there...  
  
Get well soon  
  
Please don't go any higher  
  
How are you so burnt when  
  
You're barely on fire  
  
Cry to the angels  
  
I'm gonna rescue you  
  
I'm gonna set you free tonight, baby  
  
Pour over me   
  
She was at the minibar when she heard the knock at her door.   
  
WOODY?   
  
She opened it with a mixture of dread and hope...and saw Peter.   
  
"I didn't come at a bad time, did I?" he said.   
  
She shook her head. "No, come in."  
  
He sat at the coffee table. "I won't be staying too long. I just wanted to tell you something."  
  
"It's alright, you want a drink? I was just getting a Bailey's"  
  
"I guess a vodka and Coke would be OK."  
  
Hey, hey  
  
We're all watching you  
  
Oh, baby, fly away to Malibu  
  
Cry to the angels  
  
And let them swallow you  
  
Go and part the sea, yeah, in Malibu  
  
"Cool song" he said when he got his drink.  
  
"Thanks. I haven't heard it in awhile. So what's on your mind, Peter?"  
  
He too a drink, and said, trying to be cheerful, "I've thought about this a long time, Jordan, and I realized I wasn't be fair to you when I said I wasn't going. Allegrezza over on third shift's agreed to cover for me. I'll be happy to go."  
  
And the sun goes down  
  
I watch you slip away  
  
And the sun goes down  
  
I walk into the waves   
  
Jordan looked oddly confused for a moment.   
  
Peter was confused himself. "What's wrong? I thought you'd be happy about that."  
  
And I knew love would tear you apart  
  
"It's not that Peter..."  
  
Oh and I knew the darkest secret of your heart   
  
"It's just...I'm not sure there's going to be a wedding now..."   
  
Peter looked as though he'd swallowed a bull elephant.   
  
"What happened? Why not? You alright?"  
  
She was near tears now. "Something Woody said...something about what happened with..." She couldn't finish her thought, it was just too sad.   
  
As she broke down, she fell into Peter's arms. Peter just looked stunned as though things just couldn't be any worse...and then they were.   
  
I'm gonna follow you  
  
Oh baby, fly away, yeah  
  
They kissed.   
  
To malibu  
  
Oceans of angels, oceans of stars  
  
Down by the sea is where you drown your scars  
  
They suddenly realized something...  
  
I can't be near you  
  
The light just radiates  
  
She whispered to him "Will you stay the night?"  
  
I can't be near you  
  
He nodded.   
  
The light just radiates... 


	10. Clearing the Air

CHAPTER 10  
  
CLEARING THE AIR  
  
(Note: before everyone gets all upset, I would like to point out a few things:  
  
1. No you did not miss the chapter with Woody and Jordan having their disagreement. That is being addressed in this chapter, as you'll see.   
  
2. Don't get too upset about the Woody / Peter / Jordan thing. It's going to work out, OK?  
  
3. Is the wedding still on? Well….let us see…)  
  
Max Cavanaugh was not having a good day. He was having to learn to walk all over again, this time with a walker. "I look ridiculous, " he mused to the nurse assisting him. "How am I gonna walk Jordan down the aisle with this thing?"  
  
The nurse paid little attention to Max, just kept saying, "Very good, Mr. Cavanaugh, now one more step…there we go… now another…."  
  
Max sighed, "How long is this going to go on?"  
  
The nurse replied, "Till I say we stop. Now…once more from the top…"  
  
"Excuse me. Mr. Cavanaugh and I need to talk."   
  
Max and the nurse looked up. It was Woody. He seemed unhappy.   
  
The nurse seemed bemused.   
  
"About what?"  
  
Woody flashed his badge. "Boston PD. Police business."  
  
The nurse left, saying, "Just keep practicing, Mr. Cavanaugh. You'll get it yet."  
  
Max smiled. "Saved by the badge." When he saw Woody's expression, he darkened. "What'sa matter?"  
  
Woody shook his head, and sat on the edge of Max's bed. "I don't know….I just feel like a complete chump right now. I think the wedding might be off."  
  
"WHAT!" Max shouted. "What's wrong? What happened?"  
  
"Max…maybe you better sit down for this." He took out a tape and a player from his pocket. Max looked at him in puzzlement. "This was found in the place we found Jamie's body. Apparently he wanted a backup in case he was killed."  
  
"What's on it?"  
  
Woody paused before answering. He thought about how best to answer…and then he simply put the tape in the player, and started it. Just as he had for Jordan back at HQ….her remembered how she had reacted to it….  
  
It had started out OK enough. Jordan had been looking forward to whatever evidence anyone could find of whatever Jamie had to say to her. Woody had been looking forward to it as well. How little anyone knew….  
  
Jamie's voice crackled from the tape.  
  
"Hi sis. If you're hearing this right now, it means they caught up with me and I'm dead. Can't say I'm enjoying it, but considering how crappy my life was, I'm not really bothered by it either.   
  
It also means I can't be at the wedding. You know, that's too bad. After all, Woody Hoyt's father was a cop too, just like Max. Yeah, good old Max…he had some trippy partners, didn't he? Malden, that other guy….seems a lot of folks he worked with ended up dead. And our mom, too. Hey – you think I was just talking about the cops in general when I said 'they killed our mother', didn't you? Well, yes….and no."  
  
With this Woody looked a bit startled. Jordan looked at Woody as though she suddenly didn't know him. The tape continued…  
  
"Now, of course I didn't mean Woody had done it. He was a boy back then. But his dad…whoa, his dad…well, put it this way. Who do you think the bagman was on the Cahill thing? Now, Max and Malden and all them, they needed an intermediary…who else but one Officer Thomas Woodrow Wilson Hoyt Senior, to do the job? And consider this…where's the money? Where's the weapon? You know it's too bad you were so doped up that night Commissioner Malden paid a visit. You might have remembered what it was all about. You see – I didn't know about Officer Tom Hoyt. But dear old Dad, he did. No, both our dads they did.   
  
"So, that sort of narrows it down. Did Malden do it? Did Max do it? Or….just maybe, mind you….did your now mercifully deceased future father-in-law do it?"  
  
The tape snapped off at this point. Woody remembered vividly the defensiveness, the discomfort, the sudden distrust. He'd said something about why should they trust Jamie anyway? In any case,   
  
"And what if he did do it? I'm not responsible for the sins of my father! I am not my father!"   
  
He remembered all too well how Jordan looked at him with this terrible hurt feeling. And said quietly "Am I responsible for my father's?" then she ran out, nearly knocking over Renee Wolcott in the process. And this is what he'd told Max, word for word.  
  
Max sat there a long time. When he spoke, it was with uncommon conviction. "Woody…your dad didn't do it. I remember him. He was a good man and he raised a good son."  
  
Woody looked at him, trying not to sound hurt. "But he was involved in a payoff – "  
  
Max cut him off. "No. Tom was a good man. Back in the day, if you busted every man in the PD involved in a payoff in any way, you'd have a pretty empty squad room. Corruption exists, it's part of life. But a murderer – absolutely not."   
  
Max put his arm around Woody, who seemed to feel a little better. "Now, I know sometimes good men do bad things. And sometimes – hell, too many times – bad things happen to good people. But Tom Hoyt was not a murderer. NEVER. Always remember that. And if you give it a little time, I'm sure Jordan will look at you and realize, regardless of what she THINKS may have happened, you're still the man she loves more than life itself. You two still have a future."  
  
"She loves you and always will. My dad would kill me for saying this, but I love you too, Woody. You're my son already as far as I'm concerned."  
  
ADDENDUM  
  
Jordan was hard at work in her office when she heard a knock at the door. She looked up to see Peter Winslow. She flushed, then after trying to hide behind her computer, finally gave up and said, "Come in."  
  
Peter went straight up to her. "I'm sorry, Jordan, I -"  
  
"No, no, no. Don't be sorry. It was all my fault. I let the drinking get to my head. I mean, look at me. I'm a consummate professional. A professional! I shouldn't have let a bunch of crap that really wasn't anyone else's business get in the way of my judgment, of doing what was right. I just hope Woody will understand."  
  
"Jordan nothing happened."  
  
Jordan paused, stunned. Was he kidding? Hadn't they kissed?   
  
They HAD kissed, hadn't they?  
  
"What?"  
  
"Jordan…you passed out right after you invited me to stay the night. I put a blanket over you, and I left. That was it.'  
  
He looked right into her eyes. "Sometimes you have to do the right thing, even when you don't want to."   
  
I didn't hurt Woody, she thought. Erm, no, it was more like…..  
  
I DIND'T HURT WOODY! YAY!!!  
  
She couldn't help smiling. "You still going?"  
  
"I wouldn't miss it."  
  
With that Jordan called Woody on his cell phone.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey, Woody? It's me…we need to clear the air…"  
  
"Sure. How about over lunch?"  
  
She looked at her watch. "Give me half an hour."  
  
"OK, bye."  
  
He hung up. He looked over at Max. Max smiled back. "You'll be OK."  
  
Woody smiled back as he left. "Take care, Max."  
  
Afterwards Max looked out. He said to no one, "And someday…we'll clear the air too…"  
  
(See? I told you it'd all work out…)  
  
:) 


End file.
